Back in Storybrooke: Part Three
by kazykim13
Summary: Zelena, the new villain from the Enchanted Forest, has cursed Storybrooke yet again for Emma and Hook to figure out the new cursed citizens. Everyone in Storybrooke must count on Emma and Hook to somehow break the curse. But, a twist of fate happens when Zelena banishes Emma and Hook back in time in the Enchanted Forest. During the one year Emma was in NY with Jane and Henry.
1. Chapter 1

"May I help you?" Hook asks a bit confused on this person sitting in front of him.

"Hello, Jones." The woman slyly smiled her words being prolonged with a disturbing wickedness. Hook's eyes narrowed unsure on how this woman knew him, and why she spoke with dominance.

"Do I know you?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But I know who you are, Jones." She said as a dangerous grin made their way onto her countenance. Hook sat back observing the strange woman trying to figure out who she was, but then he felt a disturbing realization that she may be the one who caster this damned curse.

"Who are you?" Hook hisses with frustration observing how the woman sat back relaxing like she was meeting a friend.

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is your little plan with that blonde woman will not work." She crookedly smiles almost with a sneer in her tone. Hook tries not to show his nervous demeanor after finding out who this woman was. He kept cool even though his mind raced with hectic ideas and thoughts.

"And If I say otherwise?" His brow arching up with a grin coming across his face demanding a challenge.

The woman chuckles her eyes rolling condescendingly, "Try me." She looks over toward the diner's door nonchalantly giving another smile as she looked back to Hook, "Tell Aurora I give my deep sorrow on her failed attempt with Mulan." She stands from the chair with grace as if she was having a scheduled meeting with Hook, but before she walked off completely she sneers another comment. "Tell Emma she should really see her parents."

Hook stiffens sitting up watching the unknown woman walk out as he thinks of anyone he could know to be the woman. He shakes his head leaning back not knowing who she was.

"I've never seen her..." He mumbles to himself trying to keep calm of the situation. But another thought dawned on him, how could the unknown woman know of Aurora's situation? But before he could think more on in, Aurora slumps into the chair in front of him exhausted from her over-worked shift.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't realize time." Aurora tells him exasperated as she heavily breathes to relax herself. "You didn't have to wait." Aurora slumps her lips slanting into a frown.

"I'm enjoying myself." Hook smiles trying to show he had been wanting to talk with Aurora, more to gain information and to know his and Emma's next move. " I hate to ask..." Hook begins, his fingers fumbling with his hook as he tries to think of an easy way to ask. "I thought you liked that woman...what was her name again?"

"Mulan-and I thought we had hit it off that night at the school...but she's a flirt." Aurora straightforwardly explains noticeably frustrated with her counterpart. Hook tries to remain calm and not overly noisy in Aurora's business. He didn't want Aurora thinking he was sticking his nose in her affairs. "I mean, she could have told me she is seeing others!" Aurora complains huffing out a sigh as her eyes focus elsewhere. Hook scrunches his eyebrows downward trying to think if Mulan had ever acted like this before. All he could honestly remember was himself flirting with Aurora while Mulan made an obvious notion that Aurora was _hers_.

Hook shakes his head trying to sympathize with Aurora. He had never been on the opposite end of those people he would string along his frenzy of womanizing, but this was different. Aurora was someone he did care for and of course Mulan as well, but he didn't know how to react other than staring at her quite clueless. "She's pretty and all, but I'm not into women like her."

"But, why not? Wasn't there something in her that seemed genuine?" Hook asks trying to give Aurora the hope she desperately needed to love Mulan again; or this version of Mulan.

Aurora quietly sat for a moment or two glancing around the diner as she spoke, "Well, she was quite nice. And polite. She laughed along with my jokes and stories, but her smiles were what I liked most about her. Even when there was nothing going on her smile...it was just..." Aurora sighs like a lovesick puppy unconsciously twirling a lock of her brunette hair as she thought of the woman. Aurora notices her own drifting and shakes her head trying to screw it back on to reality, "But, that's just her game. She strings girls like me then dumps them at the side of the road like garbage." Aurora shrugs slumping back into her chair again angry. Hook tries to add something, but at the inconvenient moment he notices Mulan walking into the diner; with another woman. Hook watches with disappointment as Mulan sits with the other woman, smiling at her like she did with Aurora. Hook quickly tries to direct his eyes toward Aurora hoping she wouldn't notice and peer around, and thankfully she didn't.

"I guess Mulan wasn't who I thought she was." Aurora sadly remarks looking down at her fingers which were fumbling with themselves out of boredom.

"Don't talk like that!" Hook encourages trying to lift Aurora's mind from the roadside. "Maybe Mulan needs to find out what she's missing in going slow?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean by that?" Aurora replies a bit snappy.

"She probably is looking for someone to blow her away! That's why she jumps from woman to woman. You can't give up, or you're not worth it." Hook says lightly not wanting to hurt Aurora's feelings by his direct. "Are you worth her time?" Hook asks determined, hoping all this talk would raise suspicion in Aurora's eyes.

Aurora searches his eyes for a moment, the joy coming back to her. "Y..yeah, yeah! I'll just had to show her I'm assertive, and I know what I want!" Aurora says with pride almost bursting with the energy.

Hook chuckles pointing behind Aurora, "Here's your chance." Aurora glances behind seeing Mulan with a date obviously engrossed in the conversation, a true pro.

Aurora whips her head back the excitement dying down, "Wait, I dont think I can do this now."

"All that talk for nothing?" Hook eggs on trying to convince the Brunette to fight. Aurora sighs standing from her place, the chair legs screeching as she stood. Aurora gives a firm nod to Hook before heading over to Mulan.

"Wish me luck, Killian!"

Aurora makes her way to Mulan's table observing her and the mystery woman chatting as they sip their drinks until the woman's eyes look on at Aurora coming closer to the table. Mulan quickly notices and looks behind to see Aurora marching over with determination.

Mulan slightly grins knowing what was going to go down in this moment.

"Hey." Mulan says waving her hand to Aurora.

"Hi..." Aurora says shyly, not as encouraging as she would have liked.

"What's up?" Mulan asks oblivious to the woman in front of her, obviously more inclined to focus on Aurora than anyone else. Even though she was a player, there was something about Aurora that intrigued her. And that curiosity wouldn't just simply go away after another date with some random stranger.

"I was wondering..." Aurora choked out now nervous of her motives and scared of rejection, but it seemed Mulan wasn't going to ignore her.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go on another date with me?" Aurora asked boldly, her hands shaking by the tremendous effort it took to speak those words, and in front of Mulan's current date.

Mulan gave a sly smile and nodded, "Tomorrow after six?"

"I have my volunteering..." Aurora replies a bit sadly.

"Then after." Mulan suggested not wanting no as an answer.

Aurora lit up like a Christmas tree nodding her head more than once with a bright smile to follow, "Sounds great!"

"I'll probably stop by the play on duty, again." Mulan softly speaks with a gentle smile. Not a smile of someone who simply just wanted to flirt and sleep around, a genuine steady smile of someone's interests being peeked. Aurora shyly smiles her cheeks turning scarlet as they finalize it.

"Alright, see you then." Mulan smiles with a wink before turning back around to the woman who sat embarrassed and confused by the whole thing. Aurora turns in her heel almost running back to meet with Killian to tell him her accomplishment.


	3. Chapter 3

After Aurora confronts Mulan with another date, Hook leaves the diner without giving some explanation on why. He had just told her he need to urgently talk with Emma, and before she asked more on the subject he was gone. Hook bursts through the apartment door hoping to find Emma already back from her grocery shopping, but he found the home empty. "Dammit, she must not be back." He mumbles out loud to himself hoping to calm himself. Hook wanders around the apartment until his phone begins to ring. It was a text from Emma.

Emma: Just leaving store. Need anything?

Hook: Need to come home now! Urgent!

Emma: Urgent? R U out of toilet paper? Ha!

Hook rolls his eyes at the blonde's jokes. There was no time for humor, especially in the dire situation of the mysterious woman revealing herself to have given the curse, and for her to apparently know Emma and Hook. He began texting Emma again.

Hook: Now Swan!

Emma: Gee OK! Coming home now.

Hook sets the phone onto the table in the living room settling onto the couch, but his nerves wouldn't let him peacefully rest until the blonde came through the doors. Hook needed Emma to know everything, and hope she had a clue on this mysterious woman.

Emma came home after 20 minutes having Henry and Jane help her take in groceries.

"Hey!" Henry smiles as he sees Hook rise from the couch as they all entered into the apartment. Hook hurriedly leaves the comfort of the cushions as he watches Emma set down the bags on the countertop as the kids grab their snacks from their own bags.

"You look tired." Jane giggles towards Hook as he only smiles out towards her.

"No one eats any chips until after lunch!" Emma yells from inside the kitchen as the kids scurry to play in their rooms. Hook waits until the kids completely disappears into their rooms before eagerly talking with Emma.

"Swan! I encountered the woman who gave the curse!" Hook almost screams with tension. Emma stood looking at the man confused for a moment a lot getting thrown at her. "What? A woman?" Emma asks surprised by Hook's awkward reveal.

"She came into the diner and spoke with me! She confessed to bringing the curse and also how Mulan and Aurora will never be together again, and she also told me that you hadn't seen your parents yet!"

Emma stops Hook's blabbing by raising her hand for a stop. "What do you mean by 'never be together,' and who is she?" Emma asks her eyes narrowing to listen closely.

"I'm not sure who she is, and I think she has cursed Mulan and Aurora to be different with each other. Aurora was just telling me Mulan moves from woman to woman." Hook exasperatedly explains searching Emma's eyes to be somewhat alerted and worried, but he saw confusion still.

"Mulan's a flirt?" Emma snorts not able to think of the honorable Mulan to be just that. "Are you sure this is accurate? Beside-"

"Swan! I saw it with my own eyes!"

"One more thing...I have seen my parents. I just...haven't spoken with them yet. Emma confesses looking down at the floor before looking back to Hook with guilt.

"Why?" He asks plainly wanting to hear the answer.

"First, they don't know me. Second, they seem happy without me...so I figured I keep it like that." Emma shrugs now escaping into the kitchen to busy herself with lunch. Hook knew exactly what she was doing and he didn't want her to shut him out, especially when they were so close to catching this crook.

"Whatever you have between your parents and you are your problems, but we have a problem." Hook says with a serious tone. "I saw the woman's face today, the one who enacted the curse, now we can bring her down!" Hook boasts triumphantly like they had won already.

Emma nods her head still arranging dinner telling Hook, "We'll look for her tonight. This curse is already wicked enough."


	4. Chapter 4

That night, at around seven-thirty, Emma and Hook went off into the town with a plan of attack. Lure the mysterious woman out and fight her. Emma brought her old sheriff's gun along safe keeping while Hook had his own sword to use. Jane and Henry were left at home with the excuses of business that Emma needed to get done. It wasn't necessarily a lie because it was true, but it was far from Emma's usual business entanglements.

Hook and Emma stood in front of the clock tower staring up at the time. The seconds seemed to be going by slowly because of the pressure they felt to be out and about. "Where is she...?" Hook mumbles to himself watching the passing citizens enjoy their dazed days without any hesitation.

"Are you sure she's not any of them?" Emma gestures with her hand, her gun inside her coat pointed at the ground for safety. Hook observes the passing people shaking his head saying, "No it's not any of them. I'm sure she'll-"

"Looking for me?" Someone sneers from behind them. Emma and Hook bolt their heads toward where the voice sounded and saw a taller woman wearing all black and a small hat upon her locks of strawberry blonde hair.

"Who are you?!" Emma barks low wanting to know who this woman was, but tried hard to keep her voice down to avoid a scene. The woman smiles like a viper ready for a kill as she walks confidently toward the two.

"Here, I'm known as Zelena. But in the Enchanted Forest I'm known as-"

"The Wicked Witch of the West." Another voice calls from the streets. Surprised, the group of bickering people look over to see Regina. Emma's mouth gapes open shocked and confused on why Regina had come. And how she had her memories back, or what seemed like it.

Zelena gives a sickly smile and tell the group, "Now it's even."

Emma looks over to Regina, who stands next to Hook ready and determined for a fight. Emma saw the flame in Regina's eyes showing she was here for business. Emma smiles a small grin as she looks back at the Witch knowing Regina had somehow gotten her memories back, or remnants of them. But, now wasn't the time to ask why and how. The curse's castor stood before them, and they had no clue how to fight her.

"Any ideas?" Emma asks out as an open question eyeing the woman who stood in front not showing any sign of fear or discomfort.

"Without making a scene with magic...No idea." Regina says her eyes also glued to the witch.

"Why, Emma. Have you seen you parents?" Zelena begins her smile becoming crooked with wickedness. Emma gulps hoping her parents were safe and sound. "Did Mummy tell you she's expecting another baby?" Emma's eyes flicker a look of anger toward Zelena, but she tried to keep calm with this.

"Of course."

"No one likes a Liar, Emma." Zelena coos taking a step toward the group. As she did that, the group tensed and braced their grounds. "I wonder how they would feel knowing that you never came to see them both." Zelena smirks chuckling under her breath.

"I did, do you think I wouldn't?" Emma says testing Zelena's patience. Zelena throws her head back as she stifles a laugh.

"They never once mentioned a blonde woman coming up to them, but I won't judge."

Emma's lip quivers from the sudden rage she felt for this woman. More importantly because Zelena knew Emma hadn't once visited her cursed parents this whole time she had been here, which means Zelena somehow has managed to oversee what Emma and Hook had been doing this whole time. "When the baby arrives, I'll tell Mummy and Daddy that it was a beauty to see." Both Regina and Emma look at each other with fear and confusion. "Oh..." Zelena teases with a fake worrisome look, "You don't know my plan still?" She asks with the most condescending tone as her lips made an over-the-top sorrowful face. "How awkward." Zelena says teasingly her lips in a frown. "Well, here's a hint," She begins her vicious sneer coming back, "I'm going to have the life I never had!" Zelena says her voice booming with confidence. "All I ever wanted was power! And you took that from me!" Zelena screams pouting her finger at Regina.

Regina chuckles rolling her eyes asking, "Me? What have I done?"

"Everything! You got in the way of my life! Rumplestiltskin was going to choose me before you came around wanting to learn magic."

"You're mad because he taught me magic?" Regina snorts folding her arms watching how pathetic Zelena looked. But, Regina's words only made Zelena more furious.

"I was more capable than you! I knew more magic than you did!" Zelena screams her hands engulfing in green magic. Emma, Hook, and Regina stand alerted now seeing the threat before their eyes.

"But, in the end he chose me." Regina sneers remarks using Zelena's anger for the upper hand.


	5. Chapter 5

But, suddenly Regina was thrown back with immense force that Zelena inflicted upon her. Emma turns to help Regina, but Zelena shoots a gust of wind toward her to, making her fall back. Hook charged at Zelena with his sword, but is easily casted away. "This is what true power is!" Zelena says walking up to Regina with a fistful of green flames.

"Yeah? I didn't notice." Regina says getting up like Zelena's hit wasn't lethal. Regina opens her palm revealing flames within her hands too. They both throw the flames, only for it to collide and disappear into smoke. Zelena raises her lip like a snarl before reaching her hand out to choke Regina from her magic. Regina claws at her throat trying to make herself breathe, but suddenly a gunshot sounds. Zelena drops Regina and turns petrified to see Emma pointing her gun at her, a whisk of smoke from the barrel dissipates into the air as the blonde glares Zelena down.

"I guess one thing you didn't learn was about guns." Emma says shouting her warning at Zelena.  
>Zelena looks down at herself only to see blood dripping into the ground underneath her.<p>

"But-" She begins to say her breathes becoming quick and unarticulated. "This is not over!" She yells before disappearing leaving behind green smoke.

Emma rushes over to Regina helping her up staring at her with worry asking, "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine Ms. Swan." Regina says gesturing for Emma to step away, but she didn't. Not like she would before. Regina looks up as she hunches over herself staring into the blonde's eyes. \

"I thought you said no magic?" Emma asks grasping Regina's arm to help her up.

"I did." Regina snaps back a bit angered from her moment of defeat. Emma stands near Regina as they look into each other's eyes for a moment until Regina shyly looks past Emma. Emma notices the gesture and moves on with her questions.

"How did you get your memories back?" Emma asks glancing over to Hook who nods that he was alright.

"After the night you came over, I felt something. And the more I dwelled on it, the more it became apparent. But...it was hazy and would come and go." Regina replies rubbing her throat from the invisible force that had grasped her around the neck. "And, I may not have enough time to explain everything..." Regina softly says looking at Emma straight on. Without falter. Emma's countenance drops with sadness, but surprisingly smiles a tender smile telling Regina "I'm glad you're back."

"Me too."

After the moment Emma shares with Regina, the only few moments they had of staring and smiles, Emma offers to take Regina back home.

"Swan! You are to tell me you've lied to me?!" Hook blares from the back seat of Emma's buggy with Regina riding in the front.

"No, not completely." Emma replies evenly.

"How can you not know your own Mother's pregnancy!? She's going to use that baby for something evil! You could have at least-"

"I never said I didn't know about it." Emma snaps fed up with Hook's constant screams toward her. Both Regina and Hook look toward the blonde with surprise, but more confusion than anything else. "Like I told you before, I only watched them from a distance..." Emma mumbled wanting to focus on the road ahead than her feelings. Regina lightly places her fingers near Emma's lap knowing some form of comfort would help. Emma doesn't look at Regina, but she grins at the corners of her lips "I knew she was pregnant, I've been watching them like a stalker." Emma says with a half smile knowing it was no time for jokes. "But enough about me, why was Zelena so mad at you?" Emma asks wanting to change the subject quickly glancing at Regina in the seat next to her. Hook rolled his eyes at the blonde diversion as he slumped back in his seat obviously not finished with the scolding.

"She said she wanted Rumplestiltskin to teach her magic instead of me," Regina says staring at Emma, "But, I hardly understand what that means."

"Maybe we should ask Rumplestiltskin himself." Hook blurts from the backseat. Emma glances in the rearview mirror seeing Hook's serious expression. His lips usually sealed tight as his jaw muscles flexed a bit from his clenching.

"Do you think he's cursed?" Emma asks out, more as an open question to the group.

"He probably isn't." Regina replied with a hint of frustration in her voice. "He always finds reasons to maneuvers around these things." Emma raises an eyebrow then proceeds to take a left into the alleyway where the road would join into the main streets.

"Gold's it is then."

Before the gang walked into Gold's shop, Emma called home to make sure Henry and Jane were behaving. Henry assured everything was fine, but Emma was more worried that he was playing his games all day than actually playing with Jane. But, She didn't ask any more questions knowing she would sound suspicious.

"How's Henry...?" Regina mutters quietly as Emma puts away her phone. Startled, Emma turns toward Regina noticing how aching she looked for Henry.


	6. Chapter 6

"He's grown up a lot." Emma smiles strongly proud of their son. "He's become very handsome."

"D-do you think I could-"

"You don't even need to ask, Regina. You know that." Emma says daring herself to take a step closer to Regina. Any inch closer she would be lost within Regina. For she yearned to touch the Mayor's soft skin, to hold the delicate fingers that worked magic both in the office and in the bedroom. But, she didn't feel herself move, instead she watched as Regina made the first step toward her. Becoming closer and closer, burning desire racing through Regina's veins as she obviously hungered for Emma's lingering taste. Regina placed a soft kiss onto Emma's lips before both could even realize what they had done. In public of all places.

But, before any of them could speak, Hook uncomfortably coughed out from behind and asked, "Shall we?"

Regina quickly sprang away noticing her fault, but secretly enjoying the moment. Being away from Emma for the year, and living some fake life way from her made her bones ache with pain from leaving Emma's side. And almost made herself feel betrayed by what she has been doing in her lost life. Emma simply nodded before entering the dim-lighted shop filled with the antiques Gold kept for game from the Enchanted Forest.

"Good evening." Gold calls out from within the room behind the walls of the shop, before completely entering into the main shop. "Searching for anything particular?" He asks as innocent as ever. Emma looked to Hook then Regina seeing they both nodded for the 'go ahead' before she asked Gold the real questions.

"What's your name?" Emma says more than asks, glaring at Gold. Gold looks at her a bit strangely, like an odd fellow, wondering what she mean by it. "I'm usually called Gold around here. Hence the shop's name." Rumple snickers a bit, but his raspy laugh fades as he notices Emma's unending glare.

"What's your name?" Regina, now stepping in, more fiercely asks. Gold leans himself onto the counter of the glass case a crooked smile appearing upon his lips.

"Rumplestiltskin." He cooed knowing he was busted of his innocent act. "I have to say Deary, It took longer for you to come here than I had thought." Rumple says with a wistful smile leaning back onto his cane. Hook eyes the man a bit unmoved by his words. "Ah, I see you brought a friend." Gold refers to Hook looking straight at him with his impish eyes. Hook clenches his jaw not wanting to start anything, and besides, he wasn't here to kill Rumple.

"It seems another _friend_ is in town as well." Regina snarls diverting the conversation back to Emma and herself, leaving Hook out of the fury for now.

"Which friend?" Gold teases again his crooked smile trying to show innocence.

"Zelena." Emma states her name was poison the way it oozed out of the blondes throat.

Gold raises an eyebrow, in actual astonishment, asking, "How?"

"You tell me:" Emma snaps thinking Gold was teasing them again with his act. But, soon they all saw Gold's face fall with confusion, as well as great annoyance as he realized they were also serious about this woman. "I haven't seen Zelena since-" Gold stops and looks over to Regina quite started and asks, "Did you know of her before now?" Gold asks trying to collect his thoughts. Regina shakes her head noticing Gold's actual, real surprise to all this. "That explains everything..." Rumple says his tone falling with confidence.

"What do you mean...?" Regina asks folding her arms with curiosity, but with a foul mood. She wasn't here to play games, and certainly not here to have Rumple double cross them all.

"When I had first taught you magic, Zelena also came to me. I told her to show me what she could do, and she was indeed gifted far beyond your abilities at the time." Gold says as he moves a trinket from its place to another, obviously making himself busy. Regina rolled her slightly waiting patiently for his story. "She was more than capable, but I didn't want to teach her."

"Why not?" Emma asks stepping forward a bit, so she could stand next to Regina.

"She didn't posses Regina's type of...dedication."

"Dedication...?" Emma furrows her brows not understanding the meaning behind his words.

But, suddenly Regina barked out, "I was consumed by revenge, which she obviously lacked!" After the outburst Regina suddenly ran out of the store, door bells clanking together as she did.

"She's going to break my bell." Rumple chuckled turning his back on them, but Emma asked him one last thing, "Why didn't you stop this from happening?"

"Why would I?" Rumple simply replied still rummaging through the antiques and trinkets like he needed to do tear trivial chores. Emma huffed out frustrated knowing Gold would be no real use now.


	7. Chapter 7

Before Emma and Hook walked out completely, Gold mentioned something. "You will need to be careful where you tread in the next hours." Hook glanced over to Emma watching her countenance. "Any wrong moment could be a disaster."

"What?" Emma mumbles out looking back to Gold, but he had left the room completely. "Hmph." Emma sighed out opening the door for Hook.

"Crocodiles are never any help." Hook shakes his head escorting the blonde to the door.

Emma couldn't help but smile upon his comment. It was miraculous how Hook so easily stood watch as he was face to face with his enemy without breaking composure. He stood and listened even though Gold only teased and bantered, Hook kept his ground.

Hook told Emma that he was going to head back to the apartments, more so Emma and Regina could have some alone time together. And the day had been long-lived, so he was exhausted anyways.

Emma walked over to where Regina stood, which was a ways away from the shop on the sidewalk. Almost near Granny's. "You okay?" Emma asks placing a gentle hand on Regina's tense shoulder, but only for her to move her body away from the blonde's empathy.

"No."

"Want to talk about it?" Emma whimpers slightly, knowing Regina wasn't the woman she was in the past. She was a new woman, and it showed immensely. Even If Regina failed to see, Emma could see the good in her. She always did. Regina finally calms her nerves, her muscles relaxing and became more vulnerable.

"I was trying so hard to get away from magic, that I got consumed in its power in the process..." Regina says her voice hitching with sadness. Emma didn't try to comfort the woman, knowing Regina would close herself off again. Only because she wasn't used to comfort by anyone, but certainly not Emma of all people. Not because Emma wasn't a sympathetic woman, it was just she was so different from Regina, the Mayor didn't think it was possible for Emma to relate or understand any of it. "I thought I was doing good, but the void in myself was never fulfilled with the bloodthirsty power..." Regina said now facing Emma head on. They were close, but there was still a space between the woman. Like an invisible wall preventing the two of them to join together. "I thought...I had changed from that life."

"You have changed!" Emma jumps in, not wanting Regina to dwell on that moment for one second. Regina, startled by Emma's sudden yell, widens her eyes surprised at Emma's words, more on the confidence Emma brought out to say those things. "You're not who you used to be, and even though it was a part of you. I love every part of you. Good or evil, I'm here for you." Emma says finally making contact with Regina's hands.

Regina looks down tears falling from her cheeks grasp Emma's hands firmly not want to let go. They stay there together for a few moments, not saying a word until Regina finally whispers out, "Thank you..." Emma smiles stepping closer to Regina wanting to be closer, but knowing Regina's limits, she stops inches away from her face; from her lips.

"There's no need in the thanks. I stand by for everything I said." Regina stares into Emma's eyes almost trying to see her, like she couldn't see Emma clear enough.

"I..." Regina began but stopped her words, "I..lo-"

Suddenly, Regina looks at Emma differently; indifferently. She becomes stiff and blank for a moment until she moves away from Emma rapidly.

"Ms. Swan, how are you today?" Regina asks with a courteous smile completely different from a few moments ago. Emma confusingly tries to refer to Regina, but she doesn't particularly listen. "I'm afraid to say that I don't know why I had came out here." Regina says with a fading sense of belonging. Regina quickly moved her body away from the blonde putting on a face that was cursed. Then, Regina's smile grows with fake love as she calls out a familiar name, "Robin!" Emma glances back heartbroken to see the man in Regina's life now knowing Regina couldn't say or do anything while Robin was in the picture. More because Regina's cursed self had a place in her heart for the him. And not Emma. Robin Hood came up and placed a small kiss upon Regina's lips, Emma watched with pity as the same lips she had touched a few moments ago, that she had tasted as well.

Emma recollects the moment that Regina told her that her memories would come and go, obviously now being the time it had left. For now at least.


	8. Chapter 8

"What are two beautiful women doing out in the middle of the sidewalk on a beautiful day?" Robin asked squeezing Regina close. Emma countenance obviously showed discomfort as Robin kept talking on.

"I was actually heading home when I bumped into Regina." Emma fake smiles with her also fake happy tone.

Robin nods still with his genuine smile and says, "Well, if you don't mind, I will be taking the Mayor now." Robin laughs in good humor, but Emma was too busy staring at Regina with desperation to be in Robin's place. Regina cleared her throat, which got Emma's attention.

"Yes, yes of course! I'll be going now." Emma smiles, but it droops at the corners as she sees Regina walk with Robin, but at the last moments Regina glanced back to Emma with a confused look on her face knowing she wasn't with Emma by coincidence. Emma sighs out knowing Regina would soon be with her again.

As Emma walked into the apartment, she was surprised to see Aurora inside chatting with Hook as she had Jane in her lap. Aurora twirled her head over as the blonde came in suddenly. Her brunette locks perfectly settling around her shoulders as she looked at Emma. "Oh, hi!" Aurora spoke out nervously with a smile to compliment her nerves. Emma partly smiled looking at how comfortably Jane sat in Aurora's lap, almost like she remembered who she was again. "I just came to visit, I'll be out shortly-"

"No need to rush. You can stay as long as you like Emma says genuinely giving a kind smile forgetting for a split second Jane wasn't her child. Hook glanced from Jane to Aurora noticing Emma's awkward tension building up, and realizing why Emma acted awkwardly for that split moment. Hook politely excused himself wanting to talk with Emma in the back room.

"Are you getting attached to her?!" Hook frustratingly asks not wanting to hear Emma even mutter the words.

"N-no! I just was out of my bearings for a moment." Emma replies, it being only half true. Emma was indeed shaken up after seeing Regina completely forget who she was in front of her, but also about all that was said and done that day. "I'm just under a lot of unneeded pressure and stress." Emma reassures trying to show that she was just exhausted emotionally. Hook let his shoulders relax as he heard Emma's words.

"Good, because we are out of time. We need Mulan and Aurora to remember Jane, or that crazy Witch will do something horrible-"

Hook stopped his words to see behind Emma. Whatever caught his eye made him completely stop his lecture and stare intensely. Emma saw him stop all talking and also looked back to why he was so intently watching Aurora and Jane, but she soon found out.


	9. Chapter 9

p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Aurora was cradling Jane in her arms like a true mother, and placed a gentle kiss on Jane's forehead noticing Jane drifting to sleep. "Goodnight Janey." Aurora whispers, but suddenly Aurora stiffens from her actions. Her eyes wander the room hastily before she stares down at the little girl in her arms. "Janey..." Aurora speaks again like she had remembered some aspect of her old life. Aurora tightly wrapped her arms around Jane and shed a few tears realizing what has happened. "Mommy loves you very much." Aurora begins to cry shaken up by her memory being restored. /spanspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #444444;"br / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""That's...odd." Hook finally speaks out still observing Aurora and Jane together. /span/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Emma cocks her head looking at Hook thinking he was ridiculous and asked, "Odd? She remembers her!"spanspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #444444;"br / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""That's why it's odd," Hook stubs clearing his throat a bit, "Regina knows who she is."/span br / !- [if !supportLineBreakNewLine]-br / !-[endif]-/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #444444;""Not exactly..." Emma confesses, almost remembering the somber moment that had just passed, the wound still fresh. "Regina only remembered for a short moment, so if we don't act now Aurora will forget soon!"span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""How do you know this is true?" Hook asks wanting more information on how to handle the situation. span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""When I had first come here, the citizens began to slowly remember who they were...but it happened in a burst when everyone got their memories..." Emma began to falter he words going into a whisper. "Why...just one by one?" spanspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #444444;"br / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""Faulty curse?" Hook says shrugging obviously unknowing of the whole magic aspect of the curse. /span/span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;" span/p  
>p class="MsoNormal" align="left"span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: #444444; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""Usually, curses act accordingly." spanspan lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'font face="Nimbus Mono L, monospace"span lang="zh-CN"맑은 고딕/span/font'; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: #444444; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: KO; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"br / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""Maybe, this one by chance isn't?" /spanbr / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""Maybe...but if the people are remembering quicker than breaking the whole cursed town, then we can probably get Mulan to remember herself. And hopefully, Jane." Emma tells Hook nodding to herself in confirmation. /spanbr / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;""Then, in theory the curse keeping all the other townsfolk will break." Hook replies eager to have this plan in motion, only because they had been sitting ducks for the last few days only hoping not to get shot. /spanbr / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Emma immediately strode over to Aurora's side ready to ask her a million and two questions on what had happened to everyone and how this new villain came to Storybrooke, but suddenly a knock was heard at the door. As if the day couldn't get any more grey the door bell came to the rescue. Emma glanced at Aurora then Hook wondering if she should even answer the door at a time like this, but Hook gave a gesture for the door as he came toward Emma's side. The blonde sighed not wanting to deal with whatever was going on, but came to her senses and went to open the door. /spanbr / br / span style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Emma opened the door, only to find the Wicked Witch standing with pristine with the most crooked smile anyone could possess./span/span/p 


	10. Chapter 10

"Hello, friends." She cooed looking a everyone in the room, more toward Aurora than anyone else. Zelena observed how Aurora held Jane and quickly caught on that Aurora was beginning to remember who she was.

"Ahh, well, this shall be easy then. I don't need to waste time with this then." Zelena smiles showing them a small object before throwing it on the floor then disappearing into her green smoke. Emma and Hook both dumbfounded look toward each other not even understanding what Zelena wanted or had even done.

"What is this?" Hook asks bending down to observe the object that Zelena dropped to the floor.

He touched it with his hook examining it closely, only to watch it melt away into the floor boards. Then, a bright light formed on the floor as a portal opened at his feet. Hook jumped out from under the portal in time to watch the swirling portal open in the living room area.

Suddenly, a wind began to pick up around them as the portal swirled on. Aurora held onto Jane as tightly as she could while still trying to keep herself from falling over from the powerful gusts of the magic portal.

"What the hell is going on?!" Emma yells at the top of her lungs holding onto the nearby countertop watching Hook tightly scrunch himself inside the door way.

"I'm not sure! Another portal it seems like!" Hook yells back, but suddenly his grip slips from him and he falls near the portal almost grasping him in completely.

"Swan!" Hook yells his hook scratching into the flooring trying to claw his way to stop the powerful tug, but it was useless. Emma lunges for Hook trying to keep him grounded only to Henry yelling for her, "Mom!?" Henry screams holding onto the counter near Aurora terrified on what was going on. Henry wanted to come near, but Aurora stopped him by grabbing his arm tugging him away from the danger. Emma tried to hold onto The floor hoping she wouldn't slip in with Hook, but she began to feel herself slowly getting pulled into the mysterious portal.

As Emma loses her grip she hears Aurora tell her loudly over the swirls of wind, "Make sure Mulan and I meet this time! Don't tear us apart!"

Emma looks at Aurora confused, but glances to her side to see Henry his mouth gaping open watching the portal unleash fury in the house. But, Emma loses her grip and falls prey to the portal, along with the pirate. "Henry!" Emma screams as she and Hook get sucked into the thrashing portal, both yelling unknowingly what was going to happen. But then they both fall onto the harsh ground in the middle of the forest.


End file.
